Engagement Options

Engagement options define how and when your agent communicates with constituents. Choose the types of messages the agent can send, communication channels it can use, and overall pacing of its outreach.

After an introduction message (which is always sent and can’t be disabled), the agent uses these options with constituent details to determine the appropriate next step.

Contact frequency

Choose the approximate number of engagements you'd like the agent to send to a constituent each year. Timing is personalized for each constituent and respects required spacing between messages.

More often – About one engagement per month (approximately 12 per year)
Standard – About one engagement every 6 weeks (approximately 8 per year)
Less often – About one engagement every 8 weeks (approximately 6 per year)

The agent balances this selection with engagement history and recent activity to avoid over‑contacting constituents.

Dates to avoid

Add any additional dates you want to make sure the agent avoids. Weekends and major holidays are already excluded.

Note: if someone messages the Agent on a date listed as a date to avoid, the Agent will respond. The blackout date doesn't pause full communications, it just doesn't generate/send an initial engagement in a thread on these dates.

Review the dates the agent already avoids:

Dates already excluded

The following holidays are already excluded, so you don't need to add them:

United States

Holiday	Date
New Year's Day	January 1
Memorial Day	Last Monday in May
Independence Day	July 4
Labor Day	1st Monday in September
Thanksgiving Day	4th Thursday in November
Christmas Eve	December 24
Christmas Day	December 25
New Year's Eve	December 31

United Kingdom

Holiday	Date
New Year's Day	January 1
Good Friday	2 days before Easter
Easter Monday	1 day after Easter
Early May Bank Holiday	1st Monday in May
Spring Bank Holiday	Last Monday in May
Summer Bank Holiday	Last Monday in August
Christmas Day	December 25
Boxing Day	December 26

Canada

Holiday	Date
New Year's Day	January 1
Family Day	3rd Monday in February
Good Friday	2 days before Easter
Victoria Day	Monday on or before May 24
Canada Day	July 1
Civic Holiday	1st Monday in August
Labour Day	1st Monday in September
National Day for Truth and Reconciliation	September 30
Thanksgiving	2nd Monday in October
Remembrance Day	November 11
Christmas Day	December 25
Boxing Day	December 26

Australia and New Zealand

Holiday	Date
New Year's Day	January 1
Australia Day	January 26
Good Friday	2 days before Easter
Easter Monday	1 day after Easter
ANZAC Day	April 25
King's Birthday	2nd Monday in June
Christmas Day	December 25
Boxing Day	December 26

Select + New date to avoid.
Enter a Date to avoid. To avoid a range of dates, select Switch to a date range and enter a start date and end date.
Select Save.

Note: If the agent already scheduled a communication within a date range you add, the agent automatically reschedules that communication during its next schedule sweep (24 to 12 hours before the scheduled send). You don't need to take any additional action.

Note: Dates to avoid don't carry over to the following year. If you want the agent to avoid the same dates next year, add them again.

Engagement types

Engagement types define how your agent communicates with constituents over time. Each type represents a different goal in the relationship, such as building trust, encouraging participation, or making a financial ask.

For each engagement type, select Send <type> messages to allow the agent to send messages of that type when communicating by email.
- Cultivation - Build relationships and trust with prospects before asking for support.
  Examples of cultivation messages
  - Introduce your mission
  - Share organizational updates
  - Highlight impact stories
  - Help constituents learn more about your work
- Engagement - Invite constituents to get involved beyond giving.
  Examples of engagement messages
  - Promote events
  - Highlight volunteer opportunities
  - Encourage program participation
  - Share involvement opportunities aligned with a constituent's interests
- Solicitation - Encourage constituents to give in support of your mission.
  About solicitation messages
  - Never the first communication sent by the agent
  - Focus on fundraising requests
  - Sent when the agent determines an ask is appropriate
  How and when does the agent send a solicitation?
  
  The agent doesn't follow a fixed timeline or set number of messages before making an ask. Instead, it moves from early cultivation and engagement toward solicitation when appropriate. Solicitation is never the first communication an agent sends.
  
  Before making a solicitation, the agent considers available information from the constituent’s record, such as interactions, engagement history, and other signals. This helps ensure requests feel timely, relevant, and respectful rather than automatic or premature.
  
  Select an option under Donation form:
  - Blackbaud donation form — The agent automatically creates all of the following on your behalf:
    - An Optimized Donation Form
    - A Development Agent Fund designation assigned to the form
    - A branding card (automatically selected)
    - A confirmation email with placeholder content
    To review or update the form, go to Online Giving from the omnibar.
    
    Note: This option requires payment processing configured in Blackbaud Merchant Services.
  - External donation URL — Enter a donation page URL in the Link to form field. Links that exceed the SMS 160‑character limit are sent by email.
- Stewardship - Thank and recognize donors after they give.
  Examples of stewardship messages
  - Thank donors for their support
  - Demonstrate the impact of their gifts
  - Reinforce the value of their relationship with your organization
  Note: Thank You communications are scheduled to send 48 hours after a donation, leaving 48 hours for review.
If SMS is enabled, select Allow SMS to permit messages of any type to be sent by text.
Select Save.